The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-11
The Struggle in Maryland.

The fight being made by faction Of dis
satisfied Democrats in Maryland against tho
party is attracting very wide attention,
New York and Philadelphia papers devoting
almost as much space to it as they would
were it matter local to themselves. The
"Reformers,n as the recalcitrant Democrats
call themselves, are for the time thoroughly
identified with the Republicans. In under
taking to reform machine methods in poll
tics, which they say have become the conven-
tional thing in Baltimore, these gentlemen,
it seems, do not hesitate to break social con-
ventions by which honorable men feel them
selves bound.
The last campaign document published by
them contains two aftidavits by H. c. Nall,
until recently surveyor of the port, and C.
l.. Wilson, also a lately ousted Federal
official, setting forth what they swear to
have occurred at a meeting of Senator Cor
man, Mr.. Jackson the Democratic candi-
date for Governor, and other leading Demo
Gratis. The meeting occurred in the private
room of Mr.. Archer, Chairman of the Dem
ocratic State Committee, and these two Re
publican ex-office-holders swear that they
hired an adjoining room, and by intently
listening at the keyhole overheard various
plans to thwart the will of the people dis
cuSsed. These affidavits have been met by
Mr. Archer with categorical denial of all
their important allegations, and Mr.. Archer
will be believed by all decent people, who
can have nothing but contempt for fellows
guilty of such conduct as NALL and Wilson
fbpft1Cal. 70 no va haan Tho f,1ar
who will kneel with his ear at the keyhose
of private room cannot be depended upon
to repeat truthfully what he heard while in
that position, if it will serve his interest and
his revenge to tell lie.
On the other hand, certain charges
brought by the Democrats against the Re
FORM Republican alliance bear the sem
blance of truth. One of these is that there
has been a wholesale importation of negroes,
and an instance is given where sixteen negro
voters are registered from one small house
The Democrats claim that on the registra-
ton lists $40 names illegally appear, and
this is met by the Reformers with the cry
that conspiracy is on foot to disfranchise.
a large body of citizens. Conspirators do
not publish their schemes in the newspapers
before they are put in execution, as the
Democrats have done this matter, and it
will probably be found, if an opportunity is
given them, that they can establish their
claim by proper proof.
The ground ON which the Reformers base
their revolt is that the government of the
city and State is in the hands of the ''crim-
inal classes but they fail to make specific
charges of misgovernment. There is strong
presump tive evidence that there has been no
misgov eminent. There have been no scan
dals involving State or city officers, and
that the finances have been well managed is
shown by the fact that Maryland has just
received the money for nearly S2,OOO,OO0 of
bonds, sold at par, though bearing only
per cent interest.
On the whole, it looks like these Reform
ers, who set themselves up as being so much
better than the criminal classes" who have
long controlled the State and city, are moth
ing but disappointed politicians, who are
none too good to descend to the methods
which they charge upon their adversaries,
but who hope to make capital, like other
hypocrites, by pretending to be better than
their neighbors Looking on at the fight
from this distance, Democrats cannot but
hope that the Reform-Republican coalition
may fail of its purpose.